CAMARILLO, CA - A strong 3rd quarter showing of more than $400,000 raised has boosted fundraising totals for the Gorell for Congress campaign to more than $1 million raised to date in this nationally targeted election rated as a "toss-up" by nearly every major political analyst.

"The momentum continues to grow for our campaign," declared Gorell. "Our financial support is surging across Ventura and Los Angeles Counties as polling from both parties shows this election contest is neck and neck."

"I'm humbled that an overwhelming number of my campaign contributions are coming from individual citizens," continued Gorell. "By contrast, nearly 90% of my opponent's contributions come from outside the district - not from her constituents, but from outside interests."

"Based on the fundraising numbers, it is very clear which candidate has the most local support and which candidate is dependent on Washington, DC," stated Gorell. "I am the only candidate in this race who represents a change from the dysfunctional partisan mess in Congress with the skills necessary to help move America forward."

"Republicans, Democrats, Independents and many first-time donors have stepped up on behalf of Gorell to help counter the baseless negative attacks from the incumbent and outside interests. As we head into the final stretch, our best ever quarter in fundraising demonstrates the momentum, electability and outpouring of support behind Jeff's candidacy," said Gorell Finance Director Shahla Seaborn.

Assemblyman Jeff Gorell was elected to the California legislature in 2010 where he serves as Vice Chairman of the Assembly Budget Committee. He is also a Commander in the U.S. Navy Reserve and veteran of the War in Afghanistan. Jeff serves on the faculty of California Lutheran University in Thousand Oaks where he been an adjunct professor of public policy since 2006. From 1999 to 2006, Gorell served as a Ventura County Deputy District Attorney.

CAMARILLO, CA - Camarillo Hospice, a volunteer hospice and grief counseling center, will host an educational luncheon on Thursday, October 23, 2014, at The Wedgewood at Sterling Hills, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Titled “Hard to Swallow,” the program will feature Karen Simon, M.D., and Chaplain David Knapp discussing the perils and pitfalls of various treatments for the late stage dementia patient.

“This program is designed to broaden understanding of treatment choices for physical changes that occur as a result of dementia,” comments Dr. Simon. “Without being too technical or medical in nature, we will provide basic information designed to help the individual make sound treatment decisions for loved ones with a dementia diagnosis.”

Dr. Simon, who is a graduate of The Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University, is Board Certified in Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology. She completed her Residency at Cedars Sinai Medical Center and a Fellowship at UCLA Medical Center. Currently she is a member of Ventura County Gastroenterology, with offices in Camarillo and Oxnard.

Chaplain Knapp is Chaplain Supervisor for the Dignity Health St. John’s Hospitals in Camarillo and Oxnard and AlmaVia of Camarillo.

The cost of the luncheon is $20 per person, and reservations are required. Reservations may be made by phone to 805-389-6870 x 10 or email to info@camarillohospice.org.

Founded in 1978, Camarillo Hospice is a volunteer hospice and grief counseling center dedicated to the dignity of life by providing care, comfort, support and counseling to individuals and families facing a life-limiting illness and/or grieving the loss of a loved one, and education on end-of-life issues to the community at large. All services and programs are free of charge. Annually, Camarillo Hospice assists more than 4,000 individuals plus another 4,000+ via telephone assistance, referral and presentations. For more information, please call 389-6870 or log onto www.camarillohospice.org.

The Ventura College Santa Paula Site is pleased to present the fall art show, Nine Points of View, exhibited by the Artists Guild of Fillmore. The exhibit runs October 13 through December 19, 2014. A Meet The Artist Reception will take place Thursday, October 23, 2014 from 6:00-9:00pm.

The Artists Guild of Fillmore was founded in 2009 to create interest in original work created by local artists. Nine Fillmore artists are featured in the show: Lois Freeman-Fox, Luanne Hebner Perez, Virginia Neuman, Joanne King, Wana Klasen, Lia Verkade, Doris Nichols, Lady Jan Faulkner and Judy Dressler. Nine Points of View showcases nine diverse artistic styles in a variety of media including watercolors, oils, acrylics, pastels, mixed media and more.

The artwork is on display at the Ventura College Santa Paula Site located at 957 Faulkner Road, Suite 106, in Santa Paula. Free parking is available. Gallery hours are Monday through Thursday, 8:00 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.

Sadie Mae, the most severely neglected of four horses brought into protective custody to the Humane Society of Ventura County’s Ojai shelter in September, is showing marked improvement.

HSVC Shelter Director Jolene Hoffman reports that the mare rescued from a Fillmore ranch has gained 63 pounds in three weeks but is still about 340 pounds underweight.

“Sadie Mae is doing really well, she has more energy, but she’s still extremely emaciated,” Hoffman said. “She has a long, long way to go.”

Hoffman said she and HSVC staff appreciate the ongoing financial support and interest shown in Sadie Mae’s recovery by the public. As a result, Hoffman said, the Ojai-based nonprofit will be posting weekly updates and pictures of her on its Facebook page.

Sadie Mae’s recovery could take another eight months, Hoffman said, so the HSVC is still seeking donations to cover the extreme cost to feed as well as provide medical and farrier care for her and the other three neglected horses housed at the shelter. It also is accepting gift cards to feed stores.

Donations may be brought to the Humane Society shelter at 402 Bryant Street in Ojai or sent to PO Box 297, Ojai, CA93024. For more information, call (805) 656-5031, or visit www.hsvc.org.

The Humane Society of Ventura County is a private, nonprofit organization founded in 1932. It does not receive federal, state or local tax dollars to operate and relies solely on private donations.

The Ventura County Medical Association, representing hundreds of physicians from throughout the community, announced this week their endorsement of Jeff Gorell for Congress in California's 26th District.

"I'm honored to have the support of our community doctors," said Jeff Gorell. "With the enormous issues facing Ventura County and our nation related to health care access, it means a great deal to me to know that I have the confidence of our local physicians and surgeons to be the right representative for Ventura County in the U.S. House of Representatives. Like my work in Sacramento, I intend to be a problem-solver in Congress, and no doubt there are plenty of problems to solve in the area of medicine and wellness."

"The Ventura County Medical Association is proud to support Jeff Gorell for Congress." Said Mary Carr, Executive Director of VCMA. "Jeff developed a reputation in the State Capitol as a pragmatic and thoughtful legislator on the issues of health care. Doctors here appreciated the access and responsiveness they found in Assemblyman Gorell, and believe of the candidates for this seat this election, Jeff Gorell is the best qualified to represent the 26th District. We look forward to helping him get elected and have transmitted our Association's endorsement to California Medical Association CALPAC and American Medical Association for their consideration."

Assemblyman Jeff Gorell was elected to the California legislature in 2010 where he serves as Vice Chairman of the Assembly Budget Committee. He is also a Commander in the U.S. Navy Reserve and veteran of the War in Afghanistan. Jeff serves on the faculty of California Lutheran University in Thousand Oaks where he been an adjunct professor of public policy since 2006. From 1999 to 2006, Gorell served as a Ventura County Deputy District Attorney.

Rideshare Week is here and it’s the perfect time to be a part of a new social network! Beginning today and continuing through Friday, the Ventura County Transportation Commission (VCTC) and Ventura County Air Pollution Control District (VCAPCD) are encouraging commuters all across Ventura County to join together and make a new connection: Rideshare.

Through alternative modes of transportation such as carpooling, vanpooling, telecommuting, public transit, biking, or walking, commuters are taking part in reducing emissions and keeping our environment clean and beautiful. During Rideshare Week, participants will utilize social media to share their “green” commute by tagging #VCTCRSW2014 and making new ridesharing connections. It’s a social network you can feel good about joining.

Added bonuses are this year’s prizes. All who pledge will have the opportunity to win Apple iPad tablets, iPods, iTunes gift cards, and VISA gift cards. The top 5 employers will also receive a special prize.

“Sharing the ride CONTINUED »

Ventura, CA - Lung cancer accounts for more deaths than any othercancer in both men and women.Smoking is the leading cause of lung cancer. Learn more about tobacco-related cancers at a free symposium Community Memorial Health System is holding on Saturday, Oct. 25 at the Ventura Beach Marriott.

The annual Cancer Symposium, which runs from 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., will include presentations by leading physicians and specialists. Thomas Fogel, M.D., will give opening remarks and serve as moderator. Topics to be covered are:

 Head and neck cancer, by David Hantke, M.D.
 Esophageal and stomach cancer, by Tesu Lin, M.D.
 Lung cancer, by Robert Bernstein, M.D.
 Lung screening using low-dose computed tomography (CT), by Irwin Grossman, M.D.
 Kidney cancer and partial nephrectomies, by Seyed Khoddami, M.D.
 Bladder cancer, by Marc Beaghler, M.D.

A light continental breakfast will be offered before the event, at 7:30 a.m., and a question-and-answer session with the panel of experts will follow the presentations. Also, a “Tobacco Bus of Horrors” tour will be available to attendees during a mid-morning break and following the symposium.

The symposium is co-sponsored by the American Cancer Society, Cancer Support Community, Community Memorial Hospital’s Cancer Resource Center, the CMHS HealthAware Program, Grossman Imaging Center, Ventura County Hematology Oncology Specialists and KVTA radio.

The Ventura Beach Marriott is located at 2055 E. Harbor Blvd. in Ventura.

Space is limited, and reservations are required. Please visit www.cmhshealth.org/rsvp or call 800/838-3006.

Community Memorial Health System is a not-for-profit health system, which is comprised of Community Memorial Hospital, Ojai Valley Community Hospital, and 12 family-practice health centers entitled Centers for Family Health. The health system is located in Ventura County, California.

Teen drop-in center, One Step a la Vez, has a variety of committees available for youth to participate in: Social Equality Club, Farmworker & Affordable Housing Committee, Transportation Committee and the Youth Leadership Board. The youth leaders from each of these committees met Friday September 26th to set goals and strategies for their committees for this school year. The youth identified many goals including: creating a safe-zone at Fillmore High School for youth who are bullied; advocating for improved transportation in the Santa Clara Valley to include a bus route connecting Ventura to Santa Clarita with stops in Fillmore, Rancho Sespe & Piru; advocating for affordable housing in the Santa Clara Valley; and hosting bilingual information workshops that would help farmworkers find out more about affordable housing options in their areas of employment. Youth from the Santa Clara Valley are encouraged to come participate in these committees and learn about advocacy.

This coming Thursday October 2nd the center will be taking some youth on a field trip to an art show in Oxnard titled “Schools Not Jails.” Interested youth should contact the One Step Center at 805-625-7066.

One Step a la Vez is located in Fillmore at 421 Sespe Ave. Tokens for bus transportation can be provided at no cost to Piru and Rancho Sespe youth wishing to attend the program after school. Center is open from 1-7pm on school days and homework help is available daily.

Coming up at One Step a la Vez:
9/30 Tuesday- Domestic Violence Support Group (Interface)
9/30 Tuesday- Art Class 3:30pm
10/2 Thursday- Palmer Drug Abuse Program counselor available 3pm
10/2 Thursday- Field Trip: Schools Not Jails Art Show 5:30pm
10/3 Friday- Youth Leadership Board Meeting 4:30pm
10/6 Monday- Interface Counselor available by appt.

Wow!. A big Thank you to the community of Fillmore for PACKING THE HOUSE this past Friday evening at Fillmore Field. Over 3,000.00 Tickets were sold for the Fillmore/Santa Paula Football game, and we believe over 3,250 people showed up. All your Blue and White enthusium carried our Fillmore Flashes to a victory over the Santa Paula Cardinals. Again we say THANK YOU! Keep your eyes posted to the Fillmore Gazette, and the Alumni's Facebook page for our next upcoming Alumni Event. Our Final Alumni Night and Final Cruise night of the Season. October 10th. More Info coming!!! Go Flashes!!!!

I am one of eleven children and each of us think our dad is the best… but from my viewpoint I would like to state why I think I have the greatest dad.

I believe that my father’s general rule of thumb is ‘At every moment, do what you can.’ His living by this rule has taught me some very important lessons in life to live by:

Know people’s names! I asked why he keeps the notebooks he has filled with the names of people he has met at church, at his children’s school, and within the community. He replied, “It makes people feel good when you know their names.” Names are important. They are part of our identity. To me he is saying to every person he meets, “Who you are is important to me.” That does make a person feel good.

He is a farmer. When you walk on his ranch you get the feeling that you are walking on holy ground. I believe it is holy ground. He has spent the past (fifty-three) years hoeing the weeds, tending the soil and while so doing, I know he was praying – praying for the leaders of our nation, for peace in the world, for us, his children. His concern for the land goes beyond his ranch. His community is important. Every week one can see him down at the Sespe River cleaning out the trashcans he leaves for people to use. Or you may see him walking down Grand Avenue, his grandkids in tow, picking up litter. My dad is a lover of the land. A lover of his community.

Don’t complain about the daily grind. Just get it done and then go play. When over half of his land was burned in the Grand Fire, all he said was, “Guess I’ll have a lot of bare land to plant on this year.” No Complaints. He just started going about cleaning up the debris and checking out what was salvageable.

Be committed! My father married my mother (63) years ago. I’m grateful that he is married to the value of marriage…I’m sure that that commitment is what has kept them together through difficult times. Seeing this in him has taught me that commitment can pull you through a lot. The tough times in marriage, at work, in friendships, will pass if you keep working at it.

Read! Education is important to my father. As children we were always being read to; as adults we are still being given books to read. Of his eleven children, seven of us have worked, or are working in the field of education.

Many of my favorite memories come from time spent sitting around the kitchen table listening to my dad talk to whoever happened to drop in for coffee, or for lunch…or for a couple of years for that matter. My father makes whoever is in the house feel that it is their home too. And, very often it became home to people, in fact whole families, from all over. Growing up, our home was shared with people from other parts of the US, and from Vietnam, Mexico, Ireland and England.

All that he gave me has shaped me to be the wife, mother, counselor, and Catholic woman that I am today. When I look at my children and try to imagine them as adults, what I hope to see is a couple of people who are happy, faithful to God, and committed to life, truth, and caring for others. I guess I can only really hope to see these values in my children by living them myself, the way my father does for me…still today.

Join us in Fillmore’s 2nd Annual Children’s Festival at Central Park 9am-2pm, Saturday October 18th, 2014. Fun activities for all ages. Also, live entertainment including a Zumba-thon, 9-11am, and beautiful Folklorico Dancers. We are still accepting Food Truck and Arts and Craft vendor applications. For more information go to www.fillmorechamber.com or contact us at fillmorechamberc@gmail.com

Friday, September 26th, 2014, Assemblyman Jeff Gorell (R-Camarillo) will be joining the California Highway Patrol, American Academy of Self Defense, Damsel in Defense, and California Lutheran University to present a free Women’s Self Defense Forum at Cal Lutheran University’s Lundring Events Center. The program will feature a local law enforcement briefing, information booth by Damsel in Defense safety products, interactive lesson on basic self-defense techniques and a public policy report by Assemblyman Gorell.

What: Free Women’s Self Defense Forum

When: Friday, September 26, 2014
10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.

Who: Assemblyman Jeff Gorell

Where: Lundring Events Center, Cal Lutheran University
60 W. Olsen Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91360
Google Map: https://goo.gl/maps/zSjjM

To RSVP, please contact Assemblyman Jeff Gorell’s district office at (805) 482-1904.